


Our Summer In Bloom

by sugardrop



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: College AU, F/F, F/M, Lenalee reigns as queen of polys, M/M, Multi, its just easier to say college tbh, link eventually joins Yulmen for an ot4, most aren't related by blood here though, noah family is the best family, okay so i say college but i mean university, this au is honestly just a slowburn good time ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-09 23:53:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7822126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugardrop/pseuds/sugardrop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you've grown up with an irritable piss tree, a traveling pen pal who works at a circus, a quiet boy who likes to bake, and a Duracell bunny, there aren't many things that you couldn't be prepared for. Except, maybe, going to college with the piss tree and bunny, finally meeting your pen pal, and finding out how gay a threeway can really be. </p><p>It's a college run that would make it into the history books, probably.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lenalee Tries to Break the Ice. Emphasis on Tries.

The cold bench kissed her thighs with a mercy reminiscent of the devil. Lenalee turned to look to her left, where her friend was sitting. He glanced at her, only slightly turning his face.

“What?” he grunted.

“Kanda, can I please have your sweater?” she asked.

“Why? You have your own in your bag.” He said.

“Yes, but Allen has it, and he’s not here yet! Kanda, it’s a simple sweater, not the skin off your back. Please, I’m seriously cold.” she pleaded. He snorted and started taking off his jacket, a long-sleeved black shirt revealed beneath it, when someone wolf whistled.  He cursed and glared in their general direction while holding out the sweater for Lenalee to take. She gratefully put the new barrier between herself and Santa’s vacation home.

“That was fast. Usually its until you have your muscle shirts on, but that one is pretty tight, too.” she shook her head, feeling the material at the bottom of his shirt for a moment with a laugh, and Kanda, well he simply turned to face the board again after rolling his eyes at her.

Looking at her phone screen she put her head in hand, elbow on the counter. The lecture hall was a fair size, capable of holding at least two hundred students. Well, perhaps that was a bit bigger than fair. The seats were long counters to serve as one row, long continuous benches to partner them. The seating was divided into three; left, center, and the right, which was closest to the teacher’s second desk. The first was in the office through an adjacent door.

“When is this class even going to start, we probably won’t even do anything important today. Shouldn’t he have just emailed us if he wasn’t going to show up?” Kanda muttered, arms crossed against his chest. Lenalee frowned.

“Well, we did come early. Class doesn’t officially begun until ten minutes from now. I told you not every teacher comes in early!”

“How would I know he’d be punctual? I have more experience than you, so shove off. My teachers, _good teachers_ , have always come early. Just ‘cause this guy doesn’t care for it doesn’t mean it’s not the usual.” Lenalee rolled her eyes. He’d already been here a few years, and she knew better than to start an argument with him, when Kanda was right for once. A noise came from her phone, giving her something to do.

_Lenaleeeeeee. I can’t find 3-424. Isn’t it supposed to be two halls don from the library????_

_omg allen no, how did u even do that_

_What? I just followed the map you gave me!_

_dude what map?_

_I can’t believe I let Lavi give me anything_

“Allen got lost.”

“Already? How does that even happen?” Kanda scowled as he said it. Lenalee didn’t look up, texting Allen as she spoke back.

“Well, I told you he was prone to this. Didn’t you remember me getting postcards from him in junior year when he was looking for his guardian Cross? He got lost in Europe so bad he had to call his dad back in Portland.”

“What kind of friends do you even make? Don’t answer that.” She laughed as he mumbled the last part, and kept typing away, hopefully turning Allen back around with better directions.

_did u get to the blue locker?_

_Yeah, and why is it the only one differently colored?_

_Idk but its gonna b good for u_

_I suppose so. Oh hey, here I am_

The door opened and Allen poked his head in, scanning for two long pigtails.

“Allen! Over here!” Lenalee waved him over with a smile and Kanda looked over with raised brow.

 “Now you put that right back down, mister. You haven’t even met.”

“He has white hair, Lenalee. Who dyes their hair white so young?”

“What man keeps his hair waist length?”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I don’t, and I don’t care about Allen’s hair being white, and neither should you. Quid pro quo, Kanda. He’s a nice guy, just give him a chance!” Lenalee smiled at him, and he sucked his teeth, which was the best she’d be getting from him for now.

“I almost didn’t recognize you with that bob, Lenalee. I’d been looking for your pigtails, though it does look really cute on you! Why didn’t you tell me you cut it though?” Allen smiled as he came over to the center row, up to their top section.  He began to open his messenger bag and pulled out her own purple sweater.

“Thanks Allen! And you, Kanda. Oh yeah, you didn’t get to meet him yesterday he was-“

“Somewhere important-“

“- being a big baby alone in his room. But this is Kanda, Kanda this is my long time pen pal, Allen! You really should have gone with Lavi and I to pick him up from the airport, it was really fun!” Lenalee pushed his side a bit so they could scoot further down for Allen to have some space. They had seated themselves on the very end to be able to enter and leave the stands easily.

Allen turned to face them once he’d gotten out a pen and simple spiral notebook. Leaning a bit over the desk so he could see Kanda, he was a bit taken aback. He’d expected the grumpy friend Lenalee had always described to look more…rough? Kanda had long black hair he couldn’t see the end of, and quite a well worked body. He had imagined a sharper figure, although Kanda’s narrowed eyes and scowl didn’t really disappoint there.

“Hello, nice to meet you! I’m glad to meet another of Lenalee’s friends.”

“Whatever. Just stay over there and try not to talk to me.” Kanda uncrossed his arms and started rummaging for his own supplies at the sight of the teacher appearing, and unloading his things onto the desk. Allen’s head had moved back, and tilted with his brows furrowed.

“Excuse me-“

“-I can see you don’t take any form of direction well. What about leave me alone has you _lost_?”

“How can you be so rude to someone you’ve just met? What kind of person and dismisses them outright unless they also have nothing pleasant to offer. So what is it, Kanda? Have some petty skeletons in the closet?” Allen pursed his lips and Kanda whipped his head around, ready to open his mouth and snap.

Lenalee wasn’t having any of it and she quickly took his jaw in one hand and moved his head to face forward. She looked at them both and shook her head.

“Kanda, table manners, please. The semester hasn’t even started, nor is it even 9 am. Pretend to have some patience. Allen, I understand Kanda can be…gruff. But he’s in a mood. Forgive him. You two can start off on a better foot later.” Lenalee whispered as the teacher began to introduce himself and Kanda looked at her scandalized but she glared at him and gripped his jaw tighter until he released a breath through his nose and calmed down. Allen was easier to settle, knowing better than to try to trifle with Lenalee’s own patience. He also wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression on her so soon, but he was absolutely going to talk to this Kanda fellow later and sort out whatever problem he had with him.

How does somebody already hate him? It’d been four minutes, maybe. Getting started on writing his professor’s contact information in his allotted subject book, Allen was sure to write the two phone numbers, school email, and office hours. Creative writing didn’t sound hard, or like something he’d be struggling in, but this was his first year at university, and quite frankly it wouldn’t hurt to start good habits now.

“Allen, here’s the syllabus.” Lenalee whispered to him and he gratefully took the paper until he noticed it was three. Oh good.

“What are all these books?” he whispered back. She grimaced as she looked at the long list with him.

“All of these books will be reference material for the type of pieces you’ll be writing for me in this class. We’ll experiment in different author’s styles to truly dissect what grabs the reader’s attention, and how the author fulfills their intention within the work. Using what you’ve learned, you’ll make your own pieces and find your own voice. For now, however, we will be focusing on simulating styles.” The professor’s voice, he was called Mr. Kamelot, carried through the room, up to the three and that was that.  

Allen had become a bit disappointed that he wasn’t allowed to be as free with his pieces as he’d thought he was going to be, but then again formal schooling had a way of killing the fun in learning. He remembered what a nightmare school was the first few months he’d transferred into a high school in Florida during his junior year. He’d always been learning on the go, on his own time and pace before then and it wasn’t as if he lived in a bubble, he knew regular kids stayed for hours in one building. He just didn’t expect it to be so terribly _boring_. It was hard to keep from just getting up and leaving sometimes, he felt so stir crazy, but it passed and he kept his cool.

The class felt very short, even if it was supposedly to be two hours twice a week. Perhaps it was the interruption of two very memorable students, twin boys, who had come in miraculously exactly an hour late. They had just opened the door and strode in, walking right across the front of Mr. Kamelot, before dropping a bag of food at his desk. It had been a grand little thing.

“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing? I am in the middle of a class!” Mr. Kamelot had demanded, the insulted look on his face grew as the greasy bottom of the bag had touched some of his papers.

“Well, we’re here for class, duh. Aren’t you supposed to know that? Well, no skin off our bones teach!” the black haired one had grinned while his brother had giggled. “Yeah! Brought ya breakfast, and everything. A gesture of good will, or whatever. Besides, we’re only a few minutes late right? No big deal, Sheryl.” The blonde one had assured. Mr. Kamelot had looked at them as if they’d offered to set up a bonfire right in the middle of the room; the upper corner of his top lip lifted while he frowned, his hand came up to splay in front of him, and eyes widened.

“I am your professor, Jasdero, Devitt! You will show me respect in my own classroom, and you’re quite a few minutes late. An entire sixty! Now go sit down, and take that filth off my desk with you. I’ll speak with you two children after class.” Mr. Kamelot had spoken quickly and harshly, shooing them up into the right side of the seats. They had ended up a few benches above and across from where Allen sat, their giggling heard even from there.  He hadn’t really minded all the much, but he could practically feel his own teeth ache at the harsh lines in Kanda’s jaw from how hard he’d been gritting his own. Lenalee kept throwing glances up to the corner, to the point where one of the twins had cocked his head and pulled down an eyelid at her while the other stuck out his tongue. Kanda promptly flipped them off.

If a crude picture of the twins as hyenas had been drawn by slender fingers, then crumbled into a ball and thrown onto their desk by an eager set of gloved ones, well then, it was by fate itself that Mr. Kamelot caught them “passing notes like _grad-schoolers_ on the _first day!_ ”

If the same two sets of hands had high-fived under the desk, well, that was fate too, we should suppose.

Kanda wasn’t complaining about it, for one thing.

When class had actually ended, the three sat for a while longer, calmly collecting their things, and chatting for the most part, ignoring the ridiculous argument their professor had been trying to entertain with the two established class clowns.

“I can’t believe they seriously considered miniature aliens bringing forth contact, by a mocking picture drawn in _pen and highlighters_.” Allen whispered to Lenalee with a twinkle in his eye and trembling lips. She laughed freely, her arm though his and Kanda’s, messenger bag lightly hitting the backs of her knees as they walked.

“Do you really think they’ll ever figure out it was us? They looked pretty serious!” Lenalee asked, first to Allen and then turning her smile to Kanda who rolled his eyes. With the smallest smirk he allowed, “I don’t think they’d believe it was you two if actual aliens themselves descended down upon us and told them.”

“Well of course they wouldn’t, Kanda. Anyone could lie. And wouldn’t it just be the most suspicious thing if aliens actually did come down, just to deny a silly thing like that and pin us for it?” Allen said, throwing up the hand not contained by Lenalee up, as if to signal the very aliens they were talking about.

“Who even asked you?” Kanda snapped back. Allen turned to face him as they came to the end of the hall that lead to the English classes.

“I was just continuing conversation. Isn’t that what normal people do? Or do you live under a bridge like the troll you’re revealing yourself to be?” Allen snarked back. He had leaned over Lenalee a bit, before she pulled him away from Kanda who was raising himself up to full height.

“Oh? What’s that you say? I can’t hear the little thing talking to me from way down there. Maybe if I stepped on it, it’d stop being so noisy.” Kanda smirked wickedly and Allen gasped.

“How dare you! I’m not even that short, you’re just freakishly tall! Who else do you see around here that is a casual six _foot tall person?_ ” Allen had stopped walking and stared at Kanda, completely loathing the fact that he had to look up at him to do so. What did this man even eat to grow so big? An entire cow for breakfast every day? Lenalee muttered with a look to the side, _he is like a tree I don’t blame you._

“Freak? I’m the freak? What about you! You have white hair and a pentacle over your eye! What the hell is with that anyway? You some kind of Satan worshipper?” Kanda wrenched his arm from Lenalee’s grasp, earning him a _Kanda!_ in return, moving to lean away from Allen’s space. Allen scoffed and crossed his arms, a bit clumsily since he let Lenalee keep one. Now if he wasn’t so irritated, he’d probably be embarrassed about their obvious posturing in front of Lenalee, of doing it at all, but he couldn’t care less when the prick above him proved that those wily dinosaurs had in fact lived on to pass some sort of strand down the line.

“Are you serious? That’s what you hit me with? I’ve had ten year old come at me with something harder, Kanda. But I suppose that’s the age you mentally process at, isn’t it? Somewhere between the difficulties of multiplication tables and learning how not to be socially daft.” Allen smiled at him as he spoke and Kanda had gritted his teeth listening. Allen briefly wondered who Kanda’s dentist was and if their hair was as white as his from all the stress trying to get Kanda not to break his own teeth.

“Listen you little beansprout-“

“Excuse me-“

“No. No. No, no. That’s enough of that little dance.” Lenalee promptly grabbed Kanda’s arm again which he dodged before she glared and kicked him in the shin for, before successfully grabbing at it again. “Listen, I get it, you’re big boys and you want to use big boy words to hurt each other, but. I do not care for it. Really. Let’s just go somewhere and have a nice time, okay guys?”

“I’m not going anywhere with this shrimp.” Kanda glared down at Allen, who huffed back at him. Lenalee rolled her eyes and started dragging them off anyway.

“Honestly, you’d think the grade-schoolers Mr. Kamelot were talking about were you two!” Lenalee said, nudging Allen to open the double doors outside with his freehand. Kanda tried again to disentangle himself but Lenalee swung her hip and her messenger back flew over to hit him at the knees, almost tripping. He scowled at her as his eyes snapped to her grinning face and then to Allen, who was adamantly looking away from him. Eventually Kanda stopped fighting back as Lenalee chattered to Allen about how she had found the place one day while jogging.  

She dragged both boys with her all the way down until they turned into an alley and emerged onto a street with cozy shops tucked into the walls. She silenced any further attempts they made to argue with a swifter clack of her heels on the pavement and a firmer tug. The smell of fresh dough started to drift to them once the past the florists, or what Allen thought was the florists.

“That’s actually a sort of rival shop to the one we’re going to. Crow’s Nest, that one, doesn’t open until later in the day and it’s actually a bakery! I just think they don’t have the hours to start so early and end late since it was only opened a couple of months ago.” Lenalee said shrugging her shoulders. Allen would simply have to visit himself another time.

“Now we are going to have a good morning at a cute café, with cute drinks, and you, Kanda are not going to ruin it with your attitude, not even for yourself. How can you possibly mess up good caffeine?” muttering the last bit more to herself, she shoved Kanda first through the white wooden door of _Eliade’s_ before turning to wink at Allen and dragging him through.

 _Eliade’s_ was a warmly lit and small cafe, with round dark wood tables spread throughout in front of a wraparound bar in the center of the building. The menu was facing the door, white printed letters on a framed brown chalkboard. When Allen walks up with them he doesn’t see the end to the white glass case of sweets, and he’s eager to know if it actually does a complete loop. As he comes closer he can also see pictures of a couple on the wall behind the counter.

“Ah, they’re the people who run this place. As a present for when they got married, Krory, the tall pale guy there bought his wife this place so they run it together although it’s pretty much hers, which is why it’s called Eliade’s _._ ” Lenalee told him pointing to the various pictures of the couple including the opening day of the cafe.

Krory was a tall man, looming over his wife, with a pale gaunt face, black hair with white bangs (a birthmark?), and a small smile. Eliade was almost his opposite, with tanned skin and blonde hair, with no smile. Lenalee even pointed to one where Eliade had posed behind Kanda as he seemed to be cramming with several books and papers on the table, Lavi next to him with a red pen.

“Is she always that serious? Doesn’t seem very love-birdy.” Allen said, carefully looking at every picture for a sign that she must have been a lighter hearted person.

“Oh, only at work. She’s actually pretty sweet, honestly. And you could say she’s kind of like Kanda, with a bark that matches her bite. Business and pleasure separate and all that. Actually, I’d be more scared of Eliade. She could probably throw this guy.” Lenalee lifted her hand tied with Kanda’s and knocked a knuckle against his chest. Kanda looked offended but Lenalee simply shrugged at him with a huff. “Oh stop it, you know she could.”

“Hm. Yes I suppose. Eliade does like keeping up with her strength.” a smooth voice hushed them, a raindrop in the middle of the day.

“Krory! I thought you were on vacation?” Lenalee asked.

“Did she finally divorce you?” Kanda asked, voice bland. Lenalee pinched his side, his sweater and skin between two of her knuckles. Allen looked over slightly irritated.

“Do you think about what comes out of your mouth?” Allen asked. Kanda didn’t looked t him and Allen threw him a nasty look. Krory held up his hands in front and slightly pushed them out, making peace, and looked to Kanda.

“No? Although I don’t suppose a sweet woman like that could ever stay with me long...I do enjoy the time we will have now. One of our workers actually got into an accident and since we keep a small staff, we had to delay our flight. Eliade was a bit displeased, but we could just extend our stay a bit when we go.” Krory replied. He had gotten out a rag and started to wipe off the water rings off the counter, busying himself from thinking, probably. “So what could I do for you?”

Lenalee looked like she didn’t know what she should say, eyebrows up and eyes a bit wide, her mouth opening without making a sound. Kanda looked on, scanning the menu.

“Well, Krory it’s nice to meet you! I’m Allen Walker, and I’m excited to be in your café. What kind of sweet drink would you recommend? What’s the most loved item on the menu?” Allen asked, trying to put what had happened past them, and Krory blinked at him. Krory rubbed the table more slowly, trying to think of the regular customers’ preferences.

“Hmm, well I’m not the one who usually makes the sweeter items of our menu, Eliade takes pleasure in that, but our frosted coffees are usually sweet enough to most who ask for them? If you give me moment I could go ask her?” Krory asked, taking a step towards the small swing door to his right.

“If it’d be alright with you, yes please!” Allen replied, eyes coming up from the sweet case for moment before going back down. Now that everything was fine, Allen could focus on the important things in life; foods. The sweets in the case were all finely baked pastries, with fruits toppings, jam fillings, chocolates, and all sorts of sugars waiting to be picked. He leaned over onto the top of the casing, wondering what sort of great pastries would fill his craving. He couldn’t try them all, there’d be no real time for that because he’d rather savor them, and he had to get back to the university in two hours. Which was really an hour if he wanted to find his way to the theatre department on time. Letting go of their arms, Lenalee walked over to a booth against the wall, in a corner to the left end. The cafe was fairly quiet this morning, though she knew not to trust it as the ten am traffic would start to burst through and soon there’d be no place to sit and talk. Lenalee pulled off her sweater from her hips and left it hanging on one of the booth seats before walking back over to the two boys trying to bravely ignore each other.

It was as Allen was beginning to disappear around the corner, follow the case of sweets that Krory had come back behind the counter with Eliade in tow.

“Where is the boy that was with you?” Krory asked. Eliade pushed wisps of hair behind her ears as she started walking around the counter.

“It’s not a big place dear, he won’t be far. I’ll go talk to him and make sure he gets something he likes.” Eliade commented offhandedly, calmly waving a hand at him and he nodded at her before blushing, most likely realizing she couldn’t see him.

“Of course, my sweet Eliade.” Krory sighed.

“I hope you’re able to go on vacation sooner than later Krory, you guys are too deserving of a break together. Too cute, too.” Lenalee said, her voice soft and Krory had gone from marshmallow to lobster very quickly. She had always been fond of the odd couple, who barely had time to relax and enjoy each other on breaks or even on their down time as they were always micromanaging the business. Eliade had also been looking a bit tense lately, Lenalee had been noticing, probably from the rising hours they’d been working as more people came back to being regulars from school starting.  

By the time Lenalee and Kanda had sat down across from each other, Allen was still at the counter, talking with Eliade and asking for what seemed to be half of the pastries on display. After initial disgust, Kanda was determined to ignore the growing black hole in the middle of a college town somewhere south of fucking nowhere, and set upon deciding with Lenalee what books they’d already read from the list on the creative writing syllabus would be easiest to replicate the style of. Lenalee, however, was putting the biggest wrench he’d metaphorically seen by gaping her mouth open in surprise or fascination, both which he didn’t care for, to the amount of food Allen was bringing back to their table. She shook her head before going back to her cellphone, thumbs flying over the keyboard with a giggle.  

Balancing three paper bags on top of each other on one hand, he carefully placed five more on the table, before they trembled and fell into a pile on their own. None had slid off the table, thankfully. Allen was about to sit down next to Lenalee in the booth but she stopped him with a hand and a guilty smile.

“Hey Allen, pretty please do me a favor and sit with Kanda?” Lenalee pleaded.

“What the hell? No.” Kanda said quickly and she looked over at him, making her eyes big. Allen had to agree though, because putting them together after all their fighting this morning already?

“I know, _trust me_ , that there’s already a blood feud or something between you two, but I wanted Miranda to join us before she had to go to class today. I want to have some time with her. And Kanda, you just. You scare her. So Allen if you could please sit next to him so she’s across from you instead that’d be great!” Lenalee brought her hands up in front of her as if in prayer, but Allen saw no God here.

“Goddamn, I don’t even talk to her.” Kanda muttered and Lenalee gave him a look.

“Honestly? Thank you for that, I’m glad the house training has gone well, but you still don’t _look_ any friendlier.” Kanda growled in reply and Allen simply decided he was too hungry for an attitude at the moment before sitting down in Kanda’s booth. He could die after he’d had an apple turnover.

“Who the hell said you could sit here? Get out!” Kanda said harshly. Allen simply opened one of the pastry bags and began eating before smiling at Kanda and saying with his mouth full, “I do.”

It was going to be a hell of a long morning for the three of them.


	2. Surrounded By Sweets Yet Kanda's Still Bitter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This fic will update every two weeks on Sundays. Sorry about the length of this one, i sort of one-shotted it ahaha. Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter two!

Lenalee Lee was a godsend and Miranda will stand by that to this day, forty years in the future.

Right now, she’s hopped along a terrible morning. Waking up late for class, burning her breakfast, missing the bus. She also forgot her dance shoes and had to go back to the dorm to get them, making her miss half her first class.

Wow, ten in the morning and already ready for bed, it’s almost a new record for her.

It’s officially set when she walks through the cafe, with tension at the table she walks up to that she could cut with her own pinky finger. Not that she’ll ever even try. There are some days Miranda feels it’s okay for her to walk in public, head held at a reasonable angle, without apologizing to passerby for her sorry life- but today is not one of those days. Especially when Kanda sits across from her girlfriend staring into the wall with a scowl that could melt plastic. When she glances over at his booth-mate, however, she feels lighter than her recommendations letters from former bosses.

“Allen? Is that...is it you?” she had said, hands clasped together over her mouth.

Allen looked up at her with his cheeks bulging, but lips thankfully closed into a smile. He paused and moved one of the turnovers to a single hand while waving enthusiastically with the other.  She smiled at him, her first one of the day, and it’s by the relaxation of her shoulders that things seem to calm down. For the most part. Lenalee pounces on the opportunity to hold her hand once she sits, and giggles at her blush.

“Good morning! I’m sorry I missed you, but I had to go a little earlier to make sure I could make it to class. I wanted to walk with Kanda, and he talks forever to get up, you know!” she sighed and he stopped glaring at the wall to glare at Lenalee.

“What are you talking about? I wake up earlier than you.” he said. She lifted a neat brow.

“ _Kanda_ ,” she stressed, looking down at him with a smile, “I waited fifteen minutes for you. Fifteen minutes and you came out in sweatpants _without a shirt on_.” she said.

“Are you serious? I thought he’d be more of the shorts type, honestly.” Allen said, licking jelly off of a finger, and glanced at Kanda who snorted.

Miranda had never exactly been comfortable around Kanda, since he usually wasn’t in the best of moods or very tolerant of her, but he’d been getting better. She hadn’t seen him this calm in a while, though, and it was starting to be nice.

“Why do you say that Allen?” she asked, voice small.

“Hm? Why?” Allen’s grin turned wicked and Lenalee was very interested in what he’d say next, “Well because Kanda in booty shorts would be too scandalous. He has to downplay his true interests.” Allen resembled the cat who got the cream until Kanda swipes one of his cherry rings and took a huge bite. Allen gasped in horror.

“You absolute _heathen that was my last one!”_  his breath was ragged as he reached over Kanda, going to reclaim his lost gold, but Kanda smirked and took the ring out of his mouth to hold it in the air.

“Go for it, _Moyashi.”_  Kanda sneered and Allen was just so tempted into smearing a chocolate eclair right in his _smug pretty face._

“Did you just switch to Japanese in the middle of a conversation? And I am not a beansprout, of all things!” Allen retorted, rolling his eyes.

“Is it a crime to know about my own culture, _Moyashi?_ ”

 _“_ Wow, a one trick pony, aren’t you? I wasn’t aware you knew what a culture _was_ since you seem to have no education in table manners!” Allen shot back. 

“You little-” Kanda slammed his free hand on the table, making the other three jump and Allen had to wonder at how exactly he forgot the other two were even there.

“I love a free show with my breakfast. You know, a good live action horror made up of two of my best friends _giving my girlfriend a panic attack._ ” Lenalee was scowling as Allen turned to her and his glare soon turned sheepish in the wake of her fury. Even Kanda seemed to sober up quickly as the half ring was placed back onto the table, even if it was on his own tea plate.

Miranda was not, however, having a good time, even if she was trying to seem like it.

“I’m fine, it’s okay! It’s not as bad as the couple at my last job in the shoe store downtown. They would always throw the products in the store at each other and yell, so this is okay.” Miranda chuckled highly and Lenalee just stared with a look of worry.

“I’m sorry for our behavior Miranda, we’re just… a little different.” Allen smiled, taking a random pastry from his pile without looking and smooshing it against Kanda’s trousers underneath the table. When Kanda had raised a fist Lenalee whipped her eyes to him, and he just gestured angrily at Allen.

“What? What did I do this time?” Allen asked, sarcastic and deeply irritated.

“What did you do? What did you do? You just shoved one of your disgusting heart attack-inducers all over the side of my jeans, what the fuck do _you_ think you did?” Kanda hissed.

Lenalee raised a brow as Miranda’s hands on the table were shaking, although she was still giving that small smile. Allen wondered if her hair was so curly from all her stress. _If mine turned white, hers certainly can accomplish that. Who needs hair curlers when you can have anxiety? For free!_

“I think that Lenalee’s stilettos aren’t just for fashion, so put on a doll face- you know, the Marilyn Monroe thing of making one of your two faces pretty and all of that- and _don’t_ make a scene for the love of God.” Allen whispered to Kanda, his words like a bullet train and in _fluent Japanese_. Kanda nearly openly stared, but opted instead to frown and look to the side before putting his chin in his hand.

“I’m sorry, again, for our display, but surely we can talk about other things! So what have you been up to? The last I saw you, admittedly a few years ago, you worked at the florist’s down the street from where we set up the circus! What’s happened to you?” Allen asked, popping a small strudel bite into his mouth, purposefully mirroring Kanda by tucking a chin in his hand and leaning forward onto the table. Lenalee winked at him while Miranda sputtered for a second.

“Well- I, oh dear. I didn’t stay there for long after you left, the shop went out of business quite soon after since a competitor that sold cheaper arrangements set up on the other side of town. _Call of Judas,_ I think?” she mumbled and Allen’s eyebrows rose.

“Well, you must have gotten a job someplace else right? Aha.” he replied.

“Ah, yes, I did.” she gained a hollow feeling to her voice, as if she was actively withering away, “I worked in a few retail stores for a couple months before we went our separate ways. The longest one I had was for two years in an outlet mall I commuted to, in the city a few miles from here.” Miranda’s hands fiddled with the paper that came on straws as she tied a series of bows from it, brows furrowed briefly when it was all used before Lenalee absently handed her Kanda’s, and her little knots continued.

“But it’s okay! I was fine! I was sleeping four hours a night, it was great! Sometimes I don’t get to sleep.” she muttered the last part to herself, but Allen heard her and Lenalee shook her head when he looked over. They’d talk about it later.

He knew Lenalee would have already started helping Miranda with her sleeping issues, so he wasn’t too concerned there. Her life was much worse than he thought from that brief day he met her all those years ago, though. She’d broken a flower pot on his head _twice_ and he’d thought it couldn’t get worse than that. Not that she did it on purpose. _Though that’s probably what makes it even more terrible, because she’s like this all the time,_ Allen thought.

“Everything has gotten better since I met Lenalee, she’s been a big help.” Miranda continued, her voice stronger as she looked Allen in the eyes for the first time throughout the conversation before she ducked her head, hair spiraling forward to hide the glimpse of red on her cheeks.

Lenalee was smiling wide and proud from ear to ear as she sipped on her straw and let Miranda talk. It’d been awhile since she’d had this long and this open of a conversation with someone besides her. And Kanda was even around! Kanda! The very Grinch who stole Christmas!

She’d get him into that green suit one holiday.

“That’s great to hear!” Allen laughed, offering Miranda the container of strudel bites, to which she politely declined before he shook the container again. This time, she caved.

“Thank you. I’m very happy now. I’m also surprised you already knew Lenalee.” Miranda held a hand in front of her mouth as she chewed and Allen kept the strudel bowl in the middle between them. He could afford to share some with Miranda of all people.

“I swear Allen’s met everyone from here to India on his summer trips with the circus.” Lenalee laughed and Allen shrugged.

“Maybe.” he replied. Kanda snorted into his palm.

“So that’s why all your postcards to Lena were so far apart.” _We just thought you were an asshole._ Allen’s smile twitched for a moment before he ironed it out once again. He didn’t even turn to Kanda as he spoke back calmly.

“Yeah, we usually didn’t have much money left over since we were responsible for paying back utilities and food, as well as my school books and tutors. I always made sure to send letters when I could, though, along with any other things I held onto for her.” _I made sure she knew I remembered her, jerk. I put into this friendship._

“That was very kind of you Allen, but Lenalee told me once that you two had met each other as children, no? Doesn’t that mean you did that for years?” Miranda asked, pausing her hand to hover a few centimeters away from the bowl. Allen pushed it towards her while also grabbing himself another and swallowed before he replied.

“I think that was when Pinta was still the acting ringmaster? Lenalee, did you watch Mana and I perform the aquatic set or the dinosaurs?”

“I just remember a giant stuffed dolphin in the actual show, so the former, I think? The clearest thing in my memory was playing with you after and giving you my address with a piece of chalk.” Lenalee laughed, as if it was a normal silly thing to do, giving a clown’s son your personal address without consulting your parents. Thankfully her brother was a kind person and one look at Allen’s messy handwriting had calmed him down enough to let him read it to her.

“Yeah, it must have been during Pinta’s management, and that was certainly something. The man never kept the bills and paperwork in order so it was a bit of a mess until our next ringmaster came in, Spears. That was when I was six….so yeah, about twelve years? Give or take?” Allen scratched his chin in thought. Lenalee nodded, as did Kanda.

“Yeah, that’s about when she started making us wait every day for the postal worker to come bring her your garbage.” Kanda snarked. Allen chose to ignore him.

“How was being a performer Allen? Was it all year round?” Miranda asked, after shooting a worried look to Kanda. He shook his head no at her and she looked back to Allen. “Doesn’t that seem a little hard for a child? Well, it is colorful, so you probably had a good time, but…”

“Hm? Yeah, it was a load of fun, and we only went traveling during the summer.” Allen hummed for a moment. “Did you get to meet Mana, Miranda?”

“I don’t think so..? Is he your guardian?” Miranda asked and Allen nodded.

“Mana and I met in Europe when I was a kid, and he just took me in after his contract was over for the season. We left together and he’s been my father ever since.” Allen’s voice was slow, and his eyes flicked down. “Getting the legal papers sorted through was a bit of a nightmare, though. I remember having to stay at a hospice for a month or so.” He laughed, but it was a bit hard, too deep for what he was going for. Miranda chose not to say anything but her frown let him know how thin the ice under his feet really was.

Looking up and away to the far wall, he noticed the time. Wincing, he started collecting his wrappers, and pushed the rest of the strudel bites to Miranda. He also glared at Kanda before shouldering his bag to leave. Lenalee kept her eyes on him, but didn’t seem surprised by his sudden urge to go as Miranda and, to a much lesser extent Kanda, were.

“Going to theatre? I thought it was at twelve?” Lenalee asked after taking a sip of her straw, holding it between her fingers.

“Yes, but I want to make sure I get there on time, the campus is still a fifteen minute walk and the theatre is all the way in the back left field near the town’s center. Lord knows why they built it that way.” Allen huffed but rolled his eyes with a good natured smile.

“Or you just get lost and don’t want to ask for help. Have you even tried using your phone? It’s not that hard.” Kanda grouched. Allen rolled his eyes again, smile gone.

“Gee, thanks for the great advice. I’ve never heard it before!” Allen snapped before he waved goodbye to Lenalee and Miranda.

When he’d gone through the door, with briefly said goodbyes to Krory and Eliade, Lenalee was leaned over the table and making sure he was out of sight and truly gone before she turned to Kanda with a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye.

“So?” she asked.

“So what?” he murmured into his tea and she gave him a flat look before sighing and hitting her back onto the padding of the booth. Folding her arms across her chest she leaned to the side, her head resting on Miranda’s shoulder. The ends of her bob wisped into her face and she blew them away with a light breath only for them to float back. Miranda swept them behind her ear with gentle fingers and Lenalee gave a quiet thanks.

“You were talkative today, and you just met him. You’re only this loud with Lavi and my brother, but you pretty much ignore everyone else.” Lenalee brought her straw to her mouth and took a long sip while she stared straight at Kanda, who was decidedly not looking at her.

“He’s annoying, just like that stupid red-head, so I don’t see your point.” he grumbled, folding his own arms together. He’d roll his eyes but she’d scold him and he’s never signed up for having a mother in his life at age twenty two. Or any age, really. In fact, if he’d been asexually reproduced as a grown-ass man, that would have been preferable.

Ha. Psych.

“If I may, Kanda, but you did seem more...active around Allen?” Miranda winced at his sharp turn of the head at her, but she kept going as Lenalee took her free hand in hers. “You also seemed less tense today, even if you did argue more than usual. I’m sorry if I’ve said anything rude but it was much easier to be around you this morning! I’m so sorry-” her words became slurred together in her hysterics as Kanda’s stare became harder but Lenalee’s thumb making steady circles on the back of her hand helped her ground herself.

“You’re okay,” Lenalee whispered before saying louder, for Kanda, “My _point_ is that this morning could have gone much worse. And it didn’t. That’s all.”

The way she smiled at him very clearly makes him think that that’s not all at all. But he knows better than to press her, especially if Debbie Downer’s in for the ride. He also had run out of tea.

He gathered his things with much more composure than Allen did, and as he went to drop off the cup to the counter he heard Lenalee call after him.

“Don’t you want his number?” she asked.

“Not really.” He called back.

“Okay!” she said and he nodded at Krory before strolling out himself, into a light drizzle. Lenalee laughed a bit as he left and Miranda looked down to see Lenalee typing away on her phone.

“Is that Kanda you’re texting? Did he forget something?” she wondered aloud. Lenalee smirked to herself.

“Yeah.  A phone number. He also probably needs to know Allen lives in our building, on our floor.”

“Oh my.” Miranda replied. _Oh my indeed,_ Lenalee thought.


	3. Allen has Family Problems™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm a week late! Life is rough buddy C":

 When Allen reached past the main building of the campus, it started to drizzle and he’d been fine for the most part. He didn’t have any important things like his laptop on him and it was light enough rain to where he wasn’t too worried about his phone. He’d simply held out a hand and went on with his way.

 Then thunder boomed through his ears, teeth biting his tongue in the jump up, and the heavens opened up like a drainage system.

 Great. Lost and drenched.

 His shoes squeaked as he ran and he wanted to die of regret because they were a good cheap buy a year ago, but he knows they’ll come apart when they start to dry. The squelching of socks a few minutes later was still repulsive.

 The path cutting through the open spaces of the grounds would have been great for a picnic or some sort of activity but as the weather was now the lack of trees meant a lack of reprieve.

 He was never and would never get over the horrors of gooey feeling cotton socks. Gross.

 Muttering under his breath with a sour face, Allen leapt up some concrete stairs to the entryway of a grand building with, thankfully, a rather expansive awning. He grimaced at the way he felt water ooze from his socks and through his shoes to make wet spots on the ground. He wanted to pull them off, but he needed to find the theatre to get to class.

 Squinting through the gray sheet in front of him he looked to where he’d found himself. He could see the main building in the distance to his left in the distance while the sports fields are closer on the same side. He grimaced at the poor soccer team trying to practice out in what he was sure was now just slop and mush. It had been predicted to rain the rest of the week and he was a fool to think that the weather man’s “perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow” wasn’t a signal to someone somewhere that yes. Today. That was the day.

 Allen wished dearly he had thought to bring his umbrella.

 Bringing his phone out from his damp pocket he tapped the screen and muttered a quick prayer that the thing was fine like he’d thought it be. The phone had been a parting gift tossed at him from Cross as he was kicked out of the car into the airport parking lot. The fact that it was an iphone, even if an older model, left him fumbling for enough time to let Cross slam shut the passenger door and peel out from the lot without so much as a thank you. Of course, Maria made him drive right back once Cross had called her afterwards, but still. The thought that counts.

 Thankfully it was undamaged, and in fact he had a few messages from Lenalee. The first was a shared contact bubble labeled ‘Piss Tree’. He would have been amused if he wasn’t so mystified.  

  _Lenalee, why do you have a contact named Piss Tree?????_

 She responded rather quickly.

  _what else could i have picked allen? he didnt want the other one_

  _What other one?_

 Allen had to bite his knuckle to keep from losing it out in the middle of the fields, where his laughter would bounce in the small space beneath the awning and scatter into the rain’s wind.

  _I have an idea, but really, who is this?_

  _kanda_

  _Yeah, I’m done here. Thank you, I suppose? For this wonderful thing. The Piss Tree part anyway, I don't actually care for the contact information._

  _u know I got u :) pls behave with each other, I do want to hang out with my friends w/o having to take one of u to the hospital_

  _I hope you’re not implying what I think you are. Lenalee have some confidence in me, please. I'd win._

  _If u say so C;_

  _I do. Also, um._

  _r u lost?_

  _Yeah. It started to run so I ducked under a building._

  _lmao what building?_

  _Rude. And I'm not sure? It doesn't say from here and I'm sorry but I'm not moving._

  _can u send me a quick vid over messenger of where u r?_

  _Okay._

 Allen was smiling wide, as per usual talking with Lenalee, and he quickly switched applications before setting the camera on his side so he could see himself and spoke quickly as fifteen seconds wasn't much time.

 “Well, the only notable thing I can see from the building, besides the blue paint, is this generic pull door.” He twisted his phone around and moved his arm to pan. “Those poor soccer players. Terrible for their socks, must be soaked through.”

 Her call came quickly.

 “Hello.”

 “ _Hey.”_ she sounded amused. He waited for a revelation that he felt creeping on the mental horizon. “ _The theatre is actually the building behind you. I remember it from the tour I took. It’s like another world in there, I think you’ll like it.”_

 He smiled, shaking his head as he turned to grasp the door.

 “What would I do without you? Now, are you absolutely positive this is it, Ms. Lee?” he teased, pausing before actually opening the door.

 “ _Allen, you wound me. You’re right there, why don’t you see for yourself?”_  she laughed, and he began through the short dark hall. The door shut quietly behind him and he wondered which door to choose. There were three on the right and two on the left. He had to squint to read the adjacent plaques, but he finally found what he was looking for, and as he opened the door sound seemed to rush back up to meet his ears.

 “Oh, this is certainly the theatre department.” he said with his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline, and lips folded together so his mouth became a black line.

 “ _What is that noise? Is someone screaming?_ ” Lenalee asked, worried, and he was sure she’d have been there, rain or no, in simply a few minutes with how fast her feet could fly.

 Never mind that he could be dead by then, but the devil was in the details, so he’d rather avoid them like the good Christian he wasn’t.

 “It’s fine, don’t worry yourself.” he murmured, squinting at the brightly lit stage and dark seating area. There was already a set on stage, seemingly the deck of a ship with boxes and netting spread about, and blue waves almost at the back wall. Curiously, in the middle of the floor was a large mat with two people wrestling. Very one-sided wrestling.

 “ _Allen._ ” she said firmly.

 “Lenalee, I’m sure you remember our dear friends this morning? The alien ones. The dark-haired one is who you’re hearing right now, being mauled by some big fellow.” Allen closed the door quietly with an amused face before tuning in on the words. He had to pinch himself from laughing. “I- oh my God, _Lenalee he’s screaming about the aliens. Lenalee._ ”

 “ _Oh my God. Are you serious?_ ” she giggled and he whispered back a yes before creeping a bit closer and holding out his phone, screen down so they wouldn’t see the light. He held it there before bringing it back a few moments later and he could hear her laughing, trying to explain to Miranda what was going on.

 “I’ll let you run now, I don’t think he’d appreciate anyone else knowing about this otherworldly moment.” he grinned at the phone as she bid him goodbye between breaths, and stowed it away.

 He glanced to the House and examined it to see if there really wasn’t a soul watching them, and when he decided there wasn’t, another shriek pierced the air.

 “Get the hell offa me! What the hell have ya been eatin’, Skin? Trucks of candy elephants? Did the aliens pay ya?” the twin screamed at Skin, who had sat lightly on the other’s legs with a glare, and smaller wrists in his own.

 “Your screaming is fucking annoying, Devitt. There are no stupid aliens and no sweets here. I would’ve had those instead you little prick.” Skin’s voice was gruff and full of distaste. Devitt had stopped thrashing his arms to free them and instead adopted a rather offended look.

 “How dare you.” he said pointedly. “Not all a us can be ugly gorillas. Can’t share all the beauty, huh?” Devitt spat.   

 Allen wondered if he could somehow avoid the two together for the rest of the year? Probably not, but he’d try anyway.

 “Um, excuse me!” he shouted, and Skin had moved his big head to look at him. He probably couldn’t see well from how hard he was squinting. “Sorry about that.” Allen said as he took the few steps to the stages and stood a bit away from the mat.

 “Who the hell are you?” Skin asked. Devitt chewed on his lips before rolling in Skin’s loosened grasp to look at Allen right side up.

 “You’re that Christmas tree come hella early, aren’t ya? The one from this morning.” Devitt looked at him more carefully before his face lit up with an idea. Allen sputtered.

 “A _what_ now?”

 “Hey! Did you see the aliens? Jas! Jas get ova’ hea’ the snow bird from this morning can help us prove the aliens made us that note.”

 “Don’t drag him in your damn mess, you idiot.” Skin said, remaining atop Devitt who looked over his shoulder at him.

 “I’d fuckin spit on you if it wouldn’t come back to me.” Devitt sneered. Skin gave him a wallop upside the head.

 “I’m sure he’s this delightful all the time,” Allen smiled politely, forcibly keeping a sigh from wisping through his lips, “but surely there’s no need for all this?”

 A high call interrupted whatever smartmouth answer Devitt had been ready to give, followed by a person falling forward from behind one of the wings. It was Devitt’s other twin, trying to crawl forward, and Allen could only gawk while wondering _why_.

 Two other men clutching at his legs and being dragged on the ground was the _why_.

 Jasdero flipped his long hair over his shoulder with quick hands before crawling with renewed strength. The two men on his legs couldn’t seem to stand, since whenever Jasdero felt his legs being lifted he’d roll and slam them back down.

 “Devitt! I’m coming!” Jasdero cried. Devitt slammed a hand on the ground and cheered him on ferociously.

 “Are you two even human? How is this even happening?” the man on Jasdero’s left grunted. He had shaggy curly black hair, and Allen could tell he was a tall fellow, and having quite a rough time trying to pick himself up when the other man kept slamming into him in their scramble.

 “I don’t know why I’m even helping you, I’m a talker not a fighter.” the other said. He had brown skin like the other man, but his hair was much shorter and a very pale blonde. Allen took one of his own strands with his fingers and brought it forth to his eyes just to check that it wasn’t white like that of his own.

 “Wisely, a little less jaw strength a little more arm strength.”

 “You know, I would, except _whoops._ Sorry Tyki _._ ” and with a non-subtle loosening of Wisely’s arms Jasdero was free of one leg, where he promptly kicked the only jailer left in the stomach and soon he was off running to tackle Skin- Who caught, pinned, and sat on him like a champ. At least the twins were stuck together.

 “Wisely. We just spent- you know. It’s fine.” the man sighed and sat on the stage with his legs crossed, torso leaned back on his hands. He looked indifferently at Wisely, who had shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘ _what can you do?’._

 “I’m surprised you even helped.” Tyki said. Wisely laughed for a moment.

 “The things you do for family. Like step outside the house.” Wisely said.

 “Yeah, _I_ should know how hard that one was, you little turtle.” Tyki’s smirk turned a bit more sincere before Devitt made gagging sounds.

 “Get that shit out of here. We ain’t here for that kind of performance.”

 “You share underwear with your brother.” Tyki said incredulously.

 “So? Doesn’t mean we sit there and giggle about it like some Lifetime movie moment.” Devitt replied. Jasdero nodded next to him.

 “You both wear garter-belts and-” Tyki stopped, his mouth gaping like a fish and Allen didn’t know how this entire thing spiraled so out of left field. He cleared his throat and Tyki rolled his eyes over. Wisely looked to be having a fun time.

 “Hello. You all are here for the acting class, yes? As part of the theatre department?” Allen asked, simply plowing through.

 “Yeah, we are, unfortunately. Wait,” Tyki squinted his eyes at Allen, like some sort of anomaly under his microscope,“you look familiar. Do I know you?” Tyki asked. Allen shook his head.

 “We’ve never met in person.” Allen said. Tyki still looked like he was trying to place him somewhere, and Allen hoped he wouldn’t give himself a headache.

 “He’s Allen Walker, right?” Wisely said, chin resting on his hand. Allen noted he had tattoos of open eyes around one of his wrists.

 “How’d you know that?” Allen asked, his smile narrowing a bit. Wisely didn’t seem like a teacher’s aid and even then he doubted professors would take the time to know their students before the first day. And with some, if ever. Tyki looked at Wisely strangely.

 “You read the kids’ files?” Tyki asked. “Since when?”

 “Isn’t that illegal, Wise?” Jasdero piped up from the floor.

 “Isn’t selling explosive fireworks and those switchblades you hide in the Champs shoes, too?” Wisely sniped back at him. Jasdero pouted at him and Devitt frowned.

 “Hey, we gotta make rent somehow, buddy.” Devitt said.

 “I never said you didn’t.” Wisely said.

 “Anyways,” Tyki cut in, wary of the glare Devitt had adopted, “Skin, get off them. It should be fine, we’ve locked the doors to the office. And all three of you,” Tyki pointed at each of them in sequence, “should learn to really stay the hell out of there. You know the Earl doesn’t like you going through his files. _Especially_ to be snoopy about his classes’ information, _Wisely._ ”

 Wisely rolled his eyes and looked away, not really bothered. The twins bobbed their heads and moved their hands like puppets. _Blah blah blah._ Allen wondered if the Earl was what and who he thought. It’d be an interesting Christmas dinner to say the least.

 “You really should watch it about that, you know. It’s a bit impolite.” Allen bit at Wisely.

 “I just wanted to know who was coming through here, and even if I do know your name I don’t know much else. Your file is pretty slim. It’s alright though since we have time to know you.” Wisely called back. He was giving Allen a knowing look, and while Allen didn’t particularly remember hearing about him before, it wasn’t as if the situation where he might have was a good one. Allen’s shoulders tensed up but his face remained calm even if he was feeling particularly like throwing something.

 That Kanda person must have been infectious.

 “The common thing is to learn about someone by actually talking to them first instead of invading privacy. But, let’s start off on another foot, hm? I’m Allen Walker, and I’m a freshman here, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Allen bowed his head a bit after he spoke and Tyki stood up to shake his hand. He was a bit surprised that anyone did, but his smile became a bit wider. Tyki let out a short chuckle.

 “Not all of us forcibly socialize.” Tyki said.

 “Fuck you, we love to talk.” Devitt yelled.

 Tyki gave Allen such a tired face that Allen wondered if even the poor man’s dreams were haunted by them.

 “Yes, I’m very aware of how much your mouths never seem to _close_.” Tyki glared at the twins, who stuck their tongues out at him before Skin smushed his rear into their lower backs a bit and got up to leave.

 “Skin, do you want us to fucking explode?” Devitt cried.

 “The mega-ton ass of destruction nearly got us!” Jasdero whimpered. They held each other dramatically as Skin gave them a stink eye.

 Skin continued on his way when Wisely told him where Road’s stash was, to prevent him from going over and smashing the two to pieces. Wisely was too tired to even pretend he’d want to deal with the mess, or see Tyki get into it. It wasn’t the first time he marveled at his sister, Road’s, high levels of energy since she’d have found this far too entertaining.

 Allen would have scrubbed at his face if he weren’t around company, and as it was, he was sure to be squinting.

 “It’s nearly time, shouldn’t you be finishing the stage, Tyki?” Wisely said, and Tyki nearly jumped, pulling out his cellphone to check the time.

 “Yes, Tyki, shouldn’t you be set on that?” a voice cooed from behind Allen, and as he turned he saw a large man standing in the doorway from which he just came himself.

 A rather large and decorated top hat sat on his head.He was dressed in a brown overcoat, the front cut at the hip and the back cut vertically to make a swallow tail. A long sleeved shirt poked out from underneath, over the top of black dress pants and black shoes. Allen saw that as the man walked closer, swinging a cane jovially and humming that he had a fair bit of stubble, and most of hair was combed back but a few loose strands hung about his face. His smile was wide, and Tyki responded with a very mature noise.

 Surely.

 “Earl! I didn’t think you’d be here so soon.” Tyki mumbled. Earl laughed and shook his head.

 “So soon? It fifteen minutes until class, I’m not that early, my boy!” Earl’s smile had shifted to a pout, and his eyes glistened. “But won’t you call me Papa? My own son, ignoring our bond!”  

 The director and Tyki were related? They were father and son? Was that even allowed to happen? Who was Earl?

 Wasn’t it supposed to be Adam teaching here? Allen was confused, but he chose not to speak as Earl waved hello to the others. Tyki had walked off quickly to further prepare the stage for whatever the director had wanted it specifically for.

 When Earl had turned to look at Allen straight on, his hello was choked and his eyes were wide. A sharp intake of breath followed and Allen knew that he was right.

  _Ah, so he is Adam._

 Allen smiled and held out his hand.

 “Hello, I’m Allen Walker, one of your new students this year.”

 Earl’s lips trembled and he was blinking fast, trying to keep tears from spilling over.

 “What the hell?” Devitt had said before Wisely launched himself to shush the twins, hating himself for forgetting that name. _Allen Walker_.

 Of course he and Tyki had never met in person. They couldn’t have when a blood feud between brothers, their fathers, was the cause.

 Jasdero had tried to bite his hand, but Wisely squeezed his cheeks so he couldn’t and signaled with a nod of his head that they needed to get up and _go._ Jasdero tried to kick him, but Devitt nudged his shoulder and shook his head. Wisely must have been serious about it if he got off his own lazy ass.

 “You better tell us what the fuck is up later.” Devitt said and Wisely nodded again before he let go of Jasdero’s jaw, and put a finger to his lips. Allen and Earl were still in their own little world.

 Allen didn’t even notice Wisely stalking off with the twins slinking around on the floor. Earl had reached out a hand before pulling it back.

 “Are you his son? Are you Mana’s boy?” his voice broke at ‘his’ and ‘Mana’s’. Allen wore a sincere smile and reached for Earl’s hand again.

 “Yes, yes I am. And aren’t you my uncle Adam? Thank you for all those gifts. Unless, you’ve become someone else, Earl.”

 “No! No, never, I’m Adam and always have been. The Earl is a title for the director here. Mana was The Earl once.” Adam’s tears finally broke through, and he scooped Allen up in his arms with a sob.

 Allen patted his uncle’s back and shushed him. It was like the last time he hugged Mana.

 Only Adam knew his name.

 


End file.
